Thoughts on the Election
Dear Diary
Because that is what this is to me. I know no one is reading it, or will care, so this record is purely for myself. And that's better in the long run, because I don't need to worry so much about getting into a flame war over a political post.
In case I am reading this in the future and have forgotten what is going on now, the country is locked in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak, almost all of the news is focused there. Democrats are considering options for their convention, even consdering a virtual convention. The RNC is supposed to take place in Charlotte, but they apparently have only thought of a 'clean convention' with masks and distancing. Biden has been accused on sexual misconduct from decades ago, and there is some dispute over whether the allegations are credible. Trump is still being a dumbass, flip flopping on everything he says, lying and backtracking, and generally saying the opposite of whatever his people are saying.
Of course, this all comes back to a question of identity politics, and the political parties.
I do not want Trump to win. I have always said I'd vote my heart in the primaries, and with the Democrats in the general, because that's the best thing I can do. I have been/am planning to do what I can to help the Democratic nominee. That's where I stand.
There are a fair number of people, however, who would tout "Blue no matter who!" and probably meant it so long as it wasn't Biden (or maybe so long as it was Bernie). Right now I'm still seeing a lot of dumb posts and memes running around on Facebook about how Biden is corrupt, or Bernie was so much better, and all the 'good' people know the right person to vote for is Bernie, who hasn't had allegations, or changed his stance over time. Whatever my own feelings are (and I may try to get to them later), I see all of this as a symptom of a greater problem. And these symptoms, and that problem, is what's goign to put Trump back in the White House for 4 more years.
There is a very outspoken group of people who have tried to become the left-most part of the Democratic Party. A lot of them are young. The ones who are elected are almost all first time Congresspeople. They put forth ideas I really belive in and want to get behind. Healthcare for all. Free college in some form or another, a better basic safety net for the people who need it, raising the minimum wage. I support these things, and I believe they will work because they have worked in other countries (though none of them are as large as the USA). They will require raising taxes, and that will suck, but I believe that I should pay more taxes to receive a better society. (Plus free-healthcare would elimate my need to spend hundreds of dollars a month on employer healthcare). All of these things I can get behind, and I think the Democratic Party will be the best vehicle to move in that direction.
What has become an issue to me are what I call (and I picked up the name from other people) the Bernie Bros. These are the people who are Bernie or bust. They are the ones still fighting the fight that Bernie should keep running all the way to the convention to pick up as many delegates as possible in an attempt to force some kind of concessions at the convention. They are the ones pushing memes, pushing arguments, and generally still fighting what they see as the good fight against the Democratic Establishment (enshrined in Biden) despite the fact that Bernie Sanders bowed out of the race more than a month ago. They are pushing division, they are antagonizing the people who would prefer a more social democrat, but were happy to vote against Trump, and they'll probably either scare them off of voting. I'm afraid the Bernie Bros will either not vote in the general, or will write in Bernie wherever they can. It's the same type of spoiling the election that got Trump put in back in 2016. I hate to say it, but Danny and Caleb were right, and I'm losing hope.
The country is going to be fucked. Trump will definitely appoint at least one, if not more Supreme Court Justice in the next four years. I don't have faith Ruth Bader Ginsberg can hold on for four more years, but gods bless her if she can. Even if she does, there will be more conservatives who will retire like Kennedy did, and Trump will replace them with younger justices, possibly more extreme, who will be able to sit on the court for decades to come. People don't think about that, but it's very true. Many of the protections and victories for women's and gay rights will be open for re-interpretation, or even potentially being over turned. The Affordable Care Act will somehow be completely crushed, and more money will be sent to corporations, while the masses will be sold the lie of 'job creators' which is just double speak for 'trickle down economic.' The fanatic supporters of Bernie are already saying that Biden is just another conservative in liberal clothes, and that no Democrats are truly liberals. I was even told today that the entire Democratic Party is now right of center. Even if that's true (and I don't believe it is) They're still damn closer to the left than the party controlled by an idealogue who got his power from the Tea Party, birther conspiracy, and publicity stunts that got a group of people to say "He's an outsider, he tells it like it is." never paying attention that he doesn't give two shits about them, so long as they give him good TV ratings and another term in office. But because the further left doesn't think that Biden is better than Trump, Trump will win again.
I've said it a hundred times now; if we want a revolution of politics, one major party will have to split, and then they will lose power for 10-20 years before a new basis can coalesce. If there was to be a feasible third party, they would somehow have to get almost every seat in the Senate in an election year, get the presidency, and somehow come up wiht 50% or near enough of the House spontaneously. That's never going to happen. The only reason that happened with Sarcozi in France is because they have a parlaimentary system and he could cobble enough support after one surprise showing. That won't happen here. You've got to have a majority to rule, and the 24 hour news service and better infographics (that are as often lies) have developed us even further into tribes that can only face each other, snarling. What's going to happen with these Bernie Bros isn't going to be a better candidate, but instead a Trump who will be unrestricted in what he can do because he won't have to care about re-election. They cry out that Biden will be the same, and that people are sheep if they can't see that, but their evidence is always to point to things 15, 30, or 40 years ago that Biden said. They don't allow that people can change in a years, or over decades. All they care about is that Bernie fit's their idealogically pure identity of an ideal candidate. And so we will see a split, and because of this we will get another four years of Trump as president. May the gods be with us all, and may the All-Father strike us down from heaven for the mess we have created. And it won't be America alone, no, Trump will continue to fuck over the world.
This is too depressing. I've got to drop out at this point. Future Stephen, just know that this is the day you gave up hope for a better world.
Because that is what this is to me. I know no one is reading it, or will care, so this record is purely for myself. And that's better in the long run, because I don't need to worry so much about getting into a flame war over a political post.
In case I am reading this in the future and have forgotten what is going on now, the country is locked in the middle of the coronavirus outbreak, almost all of the news is focused there. Democrats are considering options for their convention, even consdering a virtual convention. The RNC is supposed to take place in Charlotte, but they apparently have only thought of a 'clean convention' with masks and distancing. Biden has been accused on sexual misconduct from decades ago, and there is some dispute over whether the allegations are credible. Trump is still being a dumbass, flip flopping on everything he says, lying and backtracking, and generally saying the opposite of whatever his people are saying.
Of course, this all comes back to a question of identity politics, and the political parties.
I do not want Trump to win. I have always said I'd vote my heart in the primaries, and with the Democrats in the general, because that's the best thing I can do. I have been/am planning to do what I can to help the Democratic nominee. That's where I stand.
There are a fair number of people, however, who would tout "Blue no matter who!" and probably meant it so long as it wasn't Biden (or maybe so long as it was Bernie). Right now I'm still seeing a lot of dumb posts and memes running around on Facebook about how Biden is corrupt, or Bernie was so much better, and all the 'good' people know the right person to vote for is Bernie, who hasn't had allegations, or changed his stance over time. Whatever my own feelings are (and I may try to get to them later), I see all of this as a symptom of a greater problem. And these symptoms, and that problem, is what's goign to put Trump back in the White House for 4 more years.
There is a very outspoken group of people who have tried to become the left-most part of the Democratic Party. A lot of them are young. The ones who are elected are almost all first time Congresspeople. They put forth ideas I really belive in and want to get behind. Healthcare for all. Free college in some form or another, a better basic safety net for the people who need it, raising the minimum wage. I support these things, and I believe they will work because they have worked in other countries (though none of them are as large as the USA). They will require raising taxes, and that will suck, but I believe that I should pay more taxes to receive a better society. (Plus free-healthcare would elimate my need to spend hundreds of dollars a month on employer healthcare). All of these things I can get behind, and I think the Democratic Party will be the best vehicle to move in that direction.
What has become an issue to me are what I call (and I picked up the name from other people) the Bernie Bros. These are the people who are Bernie or bust. They are the ones still fighting the fight that Bernie should keep running all the way to the convention to pick up as many delegates as possible in an attempt to force some kind of concessions at the convention. They are the ones pushing memes, pushing arguments, and generally still fighting what they see as the good fight against the Democratic Establishment (enshrined in Biden) despite the fact that Bernie Sanders bowed out of the race more than a month ago. They are pushing division, they are antagonizing the people who would prefer a more social democrat, but were happy to vote against Trump, and they'll probably either scare them off of voting. I'm afraid the Bernie Bros will either not vote in the general, or will write in Bernie wherever they can. It's the same type of spoiling the election that got Trump put in back in 2016. I hate to say it, but Danny and Caleb were right, and I'm losing hope.
The country is going to be fucked. Trump will definitely appoint at least one, if not more Supreme Court Justice in the next four years. I don't have faith Ruth Bader Ginsberg can hold on for four more years, but gods bless her if she can. Even if she does, there will be more conservatives who will retire like Kennedy did, and Trump will replace them with younger justices, possibly more extreme, who will be able to sit on the court for decades to come. People don't think about that, but it's very true. Many of the protections and victories for women's and gay rights will be open for re-interpretation, or even potentially being over turned. The Affordable Care Act will somehow be completely crushed, and more money will be sent to corporations, while the masses will be sold the lie of 'job creators' which is just double speak for 'trickle down economic.' The fanatic supporters of Bernie are already saying that Biden is just another conservative in liberal clothes, and that no Democrats are truly liberals. I was even told today that the entire Democratic Party is now right of center. Even if that's true (and I don't believe it is) They're still damn closer to the left than the party controlled by an idealogue who got his power from the Tea Party, birther conspiracy, and publicity stunts that got a group of people to say "He's an outsider, he tells it like it is." never paying attention that he doesn't give two shits about them, so long as they give him good TV ratings and another term in office. But because the further left doesn't think that Biden is better than Trump, Trump will win again.
I've said it a hundred times now; if we want a revolution of politics, one major party will have to split, and then they will lose power for 10-20 years before a new basis can coalesce. If there was to be a feasible third party, they would somehow have to get almost every seat in the Senate in an election year, get the presidency, and somehow come up wiht 50% or near enough of the House spontaneously. That's never going to happen. The only reason that happened with Sarcozi in France is because they have a parlaimentary system and he could cobble enough support after one surprise showing. That won't happen here. You've got to have a majority to rule, and the 24 hour news service and better infographics (that are as often lies) have developed us even further into tribes that can only face each other, snarling. What's going to happen with these Bernie Bros isn't going to be a better candidate, but instead a Trump who will be unrestricted in what he can do because he won't have to care about re-election. They cry out that Biden will be the same, and that people are sheep if they can't see that, but their evidence is always to point to things 15, 30, or 40 years ago that Biden said. They don't allow that people can change in a years, or over decades. All they care about is that Bernie fit's their idealogically pure identity of an ideal candidate. And so we will see a split, and because of this we will get another four years of Trump as president. May the gods be with us all, and may the All-Father strike us down from heaven for the mess we have created. And it won't be America alone, no, Trump will continue to fuck over the world.
This is too depressing. I've got to drop out at this point. Future Stephen, just know that this is the day you gave up hope for a better world.